Difference between revisions of "Battle Mountain & Lewis Railroad"

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==History==
==History==
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<span class="paracap">D</span>'''uring''' February 1880, shortly after the completion of the Nevada Central Railway prospectors found Gold in Lewis Canyon, Nevada. The canyon was about 10 miles east of the N.C. Line and 10.5 miles south of Battle Mountain. The Starr Grove Mining Company, holders of the claims proposed a 12 mile railroad to service the mines. The Battle Mountain & Lewis was to start at Lewis Junction, on the Nevada Central Line and extend to the Canyon. Grading began on January 28, 1881 with flat terrain and easy construction made it to Lewis by April 25. With the rail laid, service began on July 30, 1881. The first locomotive was rented from the Nevada Central with a second one purchased and in operation during the next month in August. During early 1882 additional track was laid up Lewis Canyon to better service the mines via switchback.
<span class="paracap">I</span>'''n''' August 1872 the first mining claim was filed in Lewis Canyon, 10 miles southeast of Battle
Mountain, Nevada. By 1876 two mills and three communities were in place: Lewis (Lower
Town) at the canyon’s mouth, a mile further up was Middle Town (aka Starr) and another half
mile further was Upper Town (aka Dean). Consolidation of the major mines and two mills in
1879 led to a sale to East Coast investors who created the Starr &amp; Grove Company. Lewis
boomed.


The line was never able to operate profitably due to insufficient mining success and traffic. By March 1882 action was brought against the road by the Nevada Central to recover locomotive rental charges and additional unpaid interchange fees. Additionally, the Nevada Central prohibited the continuation of Battle Mountain & Lewis traffic on the N.C. line to Battle Mountain. This was a crushing blow to the little road. The Starr Grove Mining Company went bankrupt, was sold off at a sheriff's sale. H.D. Gates of Lewis purchased the ROW. The Nevada Central periodically operated on the line to provide mine service during the years 1883 and 1885 but after that, nothing. The line was dead. Shortly after, another sheriff's sale and purchase of the ROW by Landers County and by 1890, the line was dismantled.
The [[Nevada Central Railway]], completed in February 1880, passed 9 miles west of Lewis. The
Starr &amp; Grove Company filed papers to build a rail connection, the Battle Mountain &amp; Lewis
Railway. Grading began in January 1881 at the Nevada Central’s Galena station, which was
renamed Lewis Junction and given a siding, wye and depot. The line was pushed eight miles
east, reaching Lewis in June. A switchback in town gave access to the mills and started the climb
to the mines, which required two miles of stiff grades, sharp curves, bridging and several
switchbacks; it took 10 more months to complete on March 10,1882.
 
The official opening to Lewis was July 31, 1881, with two carded runs connecting with the
Nevada Central and timed to meet Central Pacific trains. Heavy freight traffic was reported;
passenger service levels weren’t reported.
 
Before the engine ordered from San Francisco’s [[Union Iron Works]] arrived, Nevada Central
engines were leased: First 4-4-0 #4, the DB Hatch, and then 4-4-0 #5, the Jos. Collett. When the
John D. Hall arrived in August, 1881, the 2-4-0 was described as substantially built but “strange
looking.” It was unsuccessful on the grades and sent back to the builder for modification in
September. It never returned. A proposed 0-6-0, Starr Grove, was never shipped to the line. NC #5 ran all subsequent trains.
 
The Starr &amp; Grove Company and the nearby Betty O’Neal company were dealing with labor
issues, racial strife, mine explosions and embezzlement. Revenues stalled and on March 31,
1882, the Nevada Central filed an attachment suit against the BM&amp;L for unpaid freight charges,
locomotive rental and coal. Operations stopped. In an act of bravado a new line into Battle
Mountain bypassing the Nevada Central was surveyed. It didn’t matter: The property was
bought on April 26 th by the local interests who sold it originally. They also bought the Starr &amp;
Grove Company’s mills and mines. Lewis declined.
 
The BM&amp;L went dormant, with intermittent periods of operation. There were brief flurries of
operation on the tracks by the Nevada Central—in 1883, 1885, 1890 and 1891—but only to
Lewis. Track to the mines was left to decay and in 1887 was sold, pulled out and sent to Cortez
for the 30” gauge line there. There were recurring rumors of rebuilding and pending sales. 1891
saw the final known operation, cars of lumber arriving in Lewis during a short-lived boom. In
1892 the Lewis Junction station burned down; the agency had already been closed. Finally in
 
1895 a contract was let to pull out the remaining track. The BM&amp;L was done. But there was still
one last railroad scheme to come.
 
Lewis District mining staggered on for 25 years until Noble Getchel inherited the flooded Betty
O’Neil mine in 1920. It was drained, a floatation mill built and a community set up. A top silver
producer in Nevada, it was crippled by the bad road to Battle Mountain. In 1923 Getchel talked
of building a railroad from Lewis Junction to the Betty O’Neil. The Nevada Central, on its last
legs, was more troubled than excited by this news. Sensing an opportunity to unload the failing
Nevada Central they discussed selling the entire right of way, equipment and the Battle
Mountain shops to Getchel for $250,000. Nothing happened and Lewis’ railroad history finally
ended.


====Bibliography====
====Bibliography====

Latest revision as of 16:38, 1 January 2023

Nevada / Common Carriers / Battle Mountain & Lewis Railroad

History

In August 1872 the first mining claim was filed in Lewis Canyon, 10 miles southeast of Battle Mountain, Nevada. By 1876 two mills and three communities were in place: Lewis (Lower Town) at the canyon’s mouth, a mile further up was Middle Town (aka Starr) and another half mile further was Upper Town (aka Dean). Consolidation of the major mines and two mills in 1879 led to a sale to East Coast investors who created the Starr & Grove Company. Lewis boomed.

The Nevada Central Railway, completed in February 1880, passed 9 miles west of Lewis. The Starr & Grove Company filed papers to build a rail connection, the Battle Mountain & Lewis Railway. Grading began in January 1881 at the Nevada Central’s Galena station, which was renamed Lewis Junction and given a siding, wye and depot. The line was pushed eight miles east, reaching Lewis in June. A switchback in town gave access to the mills and started the climb to the mines, which required two miles of stiff grades, sharp curves, bridging and several switchbacks; it took 10 more months to complete on March 10,1882.

The official opening to Lewis was July 31, 1881, with two carded runs connecting with the Nevada Central and timed to meet Central Pacific trains. Heavy freight traffic was reported; passenger service levels weren’t reported.

Before the engine ordered from San Francisco’s Union Iron Works arrived, Nevada Central engines were leased: First 4-4-0 #4, the DB Hatch, and then 4-4-0 #5, the Jos. Collett. When the John D. Hall arrived in August, 1881, the 2-4-0 was described as substantially built but “strange looking.” It was unsuccessful on the grades and sent back to the builder for modification in September. It never returned. A proposed 0-6-0, Starr Grove, was never shipped to the line. NC #5 ran all subsequent trains.

The Starr & Grove Company and the nearby Betty O’Neal company were dealing with labor issues, racial strife, mine explosions and embezzlement. Revenues stalled and on March 31, 1882, the Nevada Central filed an attachment suit against the BM&L for unpaid freight charges, locomotive rental and coal. Operations stopped. In an act of bravado a new line into Battle Mountain bypassing the Nevada Central was surveyed. It didn’t matter: The property was bought on April 26 th by the local interests who sold it originally. They also bought the Starr & Grove Company’s mills and mines. Lewis declined.

The BM&L went dormant, with intermittent periods of operation. There were brief flurries of operation on the tracks by the Nevada Central—in 1883, 1885, 1890 and 1891—but only to Lewis. Track to the mines was left to decay and in 1887 was sold, pulled out and sent to Cortez for the 30” gauge line there. There were recurring rumors of rebuilding and pending sales. 1891 saw the final known operation, cars of lumber arriving in Lewis during a short-lived boom. In 1892 the Lewis Junction station burned down; the agency had already been closed. Finally in

1895 a contract was let to pull out the remaining track. The BM&L was done. But there was still one last railroad scheme to come.

Lewis District mining staggered on for 25 years until Noble Getchel inherited the flooded Betty O’Neil mine in 1920. It was drained, a floatation mill built and a community set up. A top silver producer in Nevada, it was crippled by the bad road to Battle Mountain. In 1923 Getchel talked of building a railroad from Lewis Junction to the Betty O’Neil. The Nevada Central, on its last legs, was more troubled than excited by this news. Sensing an opportunity to unload the failing Nevada Central they discussed selling the entire right of way, equipment and the Battle Mountain shops to Getchel for $250,000. Nothing happened and Lewis’ railroad history finally ended.

Bibliography

Hilton, George W. (1990). American Narrow Gauge Railroads. Stanford: Stanford University Press. ISBN 0-8047-2369-9.


Nevada / Common Carriers / Battle Mountain & Lewis Railroad

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